10,000 KM movie review & film summary (2015)
That is when an email arrives, with the effect of a grenade being thrown into the room. The emotional temperature onscreen drops a few degrees as Alex learns she has been offered her dream assignment, a freelance photography gig in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Sergi realizes his hopes and dreams, including that baby whose name is already being debated, are being put on hold. And the title of the movie—which is the distance that is about to pull them apart—materializes onscreen.
Once Alex arrives at her sunny Silver Lake abode filled with blinding white Ikea furniture and fabrics, it becomes clear that the entire movie will revolve only around these two characters. A handful of supporting players, a jogger in a screen capture or snapshots of Alex’s newfound friends, will only appear in photos or images on her laptop. It’s a good thing that Verdaguer, a more hirsute and leaner variation of Oscar Isaac, and Tena, known for her work on “Game of Thrones” and as Nicholas Hoult’s punkish crush in “About a Boy,” make for a compelling and attractive twosome, together or not. I wonder if Marques-Marquet picked them for their matching statement eyebrows that often serve as sideways exclamation points on their expressive faces.
For a while, Sergi and Alex make a valiant stab at keeping the spark alive. At one point, he encourages her to check out the sights and make new friends. But when she does begin to build a new life for herself, he becomes sullen and paranoid, stalking her on Facebook and throwing a tantrum. His mood is understandable, though, as Sergi—who, thanks to the time difference, is usually seen shrouded in shadows on Alex’s computer screen—frets about not being able to pass his board exams to become a full-time music teacher. Soon, he is shown surrounded by empty bottles and glasses, reduced to drowning his sorrows after Alex drops off the grid for an extended period.
Of course, many couples encounter a divide in the road when one is experiencing great success while the other feels forgotten and left behind—rom-com empires have been built on this popular plot device. But the difference here is that that split is complicated by their inability to adequately reach out and touch each other with technology. Increasing the tension, Marques-Marquet makes a wise decision in allowing two other well-done sex sequences in the film, one that arrives around the midway point and the other near the end, to dramatically demarcate where matters stand.
